Mysterious Moonstone is a Popular June Stone

June 6, 2017June 6, 2017

Lucky June-born jewelry lovers have three official birthstones: pearl, alexandrite and moonstone. While pearl is certainly the best known, the luminous moonstone is gaining in popularity as fine jewelry designers and fans embrace its elusive beauty and spiritual aura.

Moonstone’s mysterious, billowy glow has fascinated people for centuries. Photo courtesy of GIA.edu.

It Must Have Been Moonglow

The name moonstone comes from an ancient Greek word used to describe gemstones that display the moon’s ethereal silvery light. Moonstones have a special property called “adularescence” – light that appears to billow across a gem giving it a unique inner glow.

Some people liken adularescence to a full moon on a clear night, or a moon glowing under water. According to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), “…the most captivating aspect of adularescence is its appearance of motion. The misty light seems to roll across the gem’s surface as you change the viewing angle.”

June, Moon, Honeymoon

Throughout the ages, many cultures have used the moonstone as a talisman for lovers; it is thought to evoke feelings of sensitivity and passion. Often called a “Dream Stone,” moonstone is said to bring sweet dreams of love and fulfillment.

According to Hindu mythology, moonstone is made of solidified moonbeams! One legend says you can see the future if you hold a moonstone in your mouth during a full moon.

In India today, moonstones are considered to be sacred and magical. Arabic women are known to sew them into their clothes for good luck.

About Moonstone Jewelry

Fine jewelry designers have long appreciated moonstone’s subtle body colors, which can range from colorless to white, gray, brown, yellow, orange, or green. Moonstones can be completely opaque or nearly transparent, the finest examples possessing an almost glass-like quality with a mobile “electric” blue shimmer.

Leading designers of the Art Nouveau era, including René Lalique and Louis Comfort Tiffany, featured pale moonstones in their custom jewelry. Moonstone was also a popular in the Arts and Crafts era, often appearing in handcrafted sterling silver designs.

Spiritual Enlightenment

During the 1960s, ethereal moonstone jewelry suited the decade’s “Age of Aquarius” or flower child fashions. In the 1990s, “New Age” designers again turned to moonstone’s natural beauty and spiritual appeal.

What about today? Fine jewelers are reporting that more and more clients are seeking out moonstone jewelry, in tribute to the abundance of stunning new designs, but also, some say, in response to these turbulent times.

Peace and love from all your friends at OBJ…and Happy Birthday to our June-born readers!